Rotary pump or motor



April 1943. T. H. THOMPSON 2,316,115

ROTARY PUMP OR MOTOR Filed April 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. TOM rnnom sou s2 JLN. LL $4 ATTORNEYS April 1943' T. H. THOMPSON ROTARY PUMP OR MOTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 23, 1941 INVENTOR.

TOM H.THOMPVS}N $1M. e

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTARY PUMP OB MOTOR Tom ll. Thompson, Detroit, Mich, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Builder-Thompson Englneering and Research Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation Michigan Application April 23, 1941, Serial No. 389,903

4 Claims. (Cl. 103-161) The present invention relates to fluid pumps of the rotary type and has among its objects a variable delivery pump capable of being quickly and easily variable from maximum delivery in one direction of flow to a substantially equal maximum delivery in the opposite direction.

Another object is a variable delivery pump in which the delivery is infinitely variable between the two limits mentioned.

Another object is a pump of the kind described which is, in the ordinary sense of the word, valveless.

Still another object is a device of the kind indicated which may without change be used as a reversible fluid motor.

Other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following de scription and the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional view along line l-l of Figure 2.

Figure 2- is a sectional view along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the interior construction and operating parts.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 on a reduced scale but with the parts in a different position.

As indicated in the drawings, the pump comprises a cylindrical housing l0 having diametrically opposite interior peripheral channels II and I2 each less than 180 degrees, and closed by the plates ll and I4, one of which, I3, is provided with a suitable bearing l5 and gland l6 through which extends the shaft [1 of the rotor. Fluid passage to and from the channels I l and I2 may be by the conduits Ila and l2a.

The rotor is fixed in driving relation to shaft l1 and comprises a rim portion 20 connected to the shaft l! by a web 20a, and bored radially at a plurality of points to provide a plurality of cylinders 22 extending from the inside to the outside of the rim portiomand having therein pistons 23 connected by suitable connecting rods 24 to a ring 25. At least one of saidconnecting rods is, however, fixed to or made integral with said ring. In the drawings this shown at 2411.

The ring 25 encircles and has a bearing on an eccentric or circular cam 20 which in turn surrounds and has a bearing on a second eccentric or circular cam 3|, while the latter is provided with a shaft portion 22 at each end, one of which shaft portions 22 extends into and has a bearing in an axial opening 32 in the inner end of shaft ll. The other shaft portion 22 has its bearing in a suitable central recess in plate It.

These cams 30 and Ill are so formed as to provide equal lifts and when arranged in the position shown in Figure 2. neutralize each other and produce a circular assembly concentric with the axis of shaft l1 and shaft portions 32 so that, when the rotor 20 and housing l0 rotate relatively. the pistons 23 do not move in the cylinders 22. However, means is provided for changing or maintaining the relation of the cams so that any degree of travel of the pistons in the cylinders may be obtained. For example, in Figure 5 the cams are shown as having each been turned degrees so that. instead of neutralizing each other, they now add together their lifts to produce the maximum eccentricity of their assembly and therefore the greatest movement of ring 25 and, consequently, pistons 23.

The cam controlling and moving means is shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 to consist of gearing and a suitable rack actuated by a crank 40 on the outside of plate It. The shaft 40a for crank 40 has its bearing in the plate It and carries at its inner end a cluster of two gears ll and 42, the latter being somewhat larger than the former. of these, gear 4| meshes with a gear 42 of the same size fixed to cam 3| concentric with the shaft 32. Gear 42 is arranged to mesh with a rack 44 carried on the inner wall of plate It and so mounted as to be movable lengthwise, such mounting being indicated by the slots a and pins b, the latter being fixed in plate ll. This raclr 44 also meshes with a fourth gear 45 which is fixed to the cam 30 and is concentric with its outer cylindrical surface.

By properly proportioning these several gears, rotative movement of the crank 40 will rotate the cams 30 and 3| in opposite directions, and through an equal angle. .For example, with the crank vertical as indicated in Figure 3, the cams 30, 3| may be arranged to assume the position of Figure 2, while a quarter turn of the crank clockwise will cause the cams to assume the position of Figure 5. A'quarter turn counterclockwise will cause the earns 30, ii to assume a similar relation but on the opposite side of the center shaft 32. These are the positions of greatest eccentricity of the cam assembly and, of course, moving the crank less than 90 degrees, will produce an intermediate degree of eccentricity. By moving the crank ill from one horizontal position through its vertical position to the opposite horizontal position, the cams 30. 3| will have been moved from their greatest eccentricity in one directlon (e. g. that of Figure 5), with consequent maximum piston movement andfluid delivery say from channel l2, to their greatest eccentricity in the opposite direction with consequent maximum piston movement and fluid delivery from channel H. In other words, the flow of fluid will have been gradually diminished to zero and then gradually increased to maximum in the opposite direction.

As indicated above, the device described may be used as a reversible fluid motor by supplying fluid under pressure to one of the channels II or I2.

I claim:

1. A pump or motor consisting of a cylindrical housing having inlet and outlet means for fluid. a centrally located stationary eccentric shaft consisting of inner and outer eccentric members, a rotor in said housing and having radial cylinders, pistons in said cylinders operatively connected to and reciprocated by said shaft during rotation of said rotor, gearing means within said housing and constructed and arranged to vary the eccentricity of said shaft by changing the relative positions of said eccentricrmembers, and means extending to the outside of said housing for operating said gearing and maintaining the adjusted positions of said members.

2. A pump or motor consisting of a cylindrical housing having inlet and outlet means for fluid, a centrally located stationary eccentric shaft consisting of inner and outer eccentric members, a rotor in said housing and having radial cylinders, pistons in said cylinders operatively connected to and reciprocated by said shaft during rotation of said rotor, gearing means within said'housin for maintaining or changing the relation of said eccentric members, said gearing means comprising a gear carried by each of said members, a shaft rotatable from the outside of said housing and gears carried by said shaft and adapted. to

rotate the first mentioned gears equally but in opposite directions.

3. A pump or motor consisting of a cylindrical housing having inlet and outlet means for fluid, a centrally located stationary eccentric shal t consisting of inner and outer eccentric members, a rotor in said housing and having radial cylinders, pistons in said cylinders operatively connected to and reciprocated by said shaft during rotation of said rotor, gearing means within said housing for maintaining or changing the relation of said eccentric members, said gearing means comprising a gear carried by each of said members, a shaft rotatable from the outside of said housing and carrying a pair of gears, on of which meshes with the gear on one of the members, a rack mounted to be movable longitudinally and. meshing with the other of said pair of gears and with the gear carried by the other member, and means for rotating said last mentioned shaft.

4. A pump or motor consisting of a cylindrical housing having inlet and outlet means for fluid, a centrally located stationary eccentric shaft consisting of inner and outer eccentric members, a rotor in said housing and having radial cylinders, pistons in said cylinders operatively connected to and reciprocated by said shaft during rotation of said rotor, gearing means within said housing for maintaining or changing the relation of said eccentric members, said gearing means comprising a gear carried by each of said members, a shaft rotatable from the outside of said housing and carrying a pair of gears, one of which is smaller than the other and meshes with the gear on th inner one of the members and contains the same number of teeth, a rack mounted to be movable longitudinally and meshing" with the larger one of said pair of gears and with the gear on theother of said members, said last mentioned gear being larger than any of the other gears, and means for rotating said last mentioned shaft.

TOM H. THOMPSON. 

